Richard Parsons—chairman of the board of Citigroup, the international financial conglomerate, and an economic advisor to President Obama—is coming to Honolulu as the 2009 Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals. He will be at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa during the week of April 6 to offer lectures and seminars for the campus and the community.

As the highest ranking officer of the nation‘s largest troubled bank, Parsons is at the center of efforts by the Fed and U.S. Treasury to rescue financial institutions and restore stability to the global financial system. He received his undergraduate education at UH Mānoa, and was awarded a UH Distinguished Alumni Award in 1997 and a UH Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2003.

In his role as 2009 Inouye Chair, Parsons will take part in lectures and seminars for the campus and the community that emphasize democratic processes and the importance of public life.

Established in 2005, the Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals has become an unprecedented investment at the UH Mānoa campus of nearly $3 million by more than 1,000 donors. It recognizes the lifetime of service by U.S. Senator Inouye to Hawaiʻi and the nation, as well as his late wife’s work in education.

The Dan and Maggie Inouye Distinguished Chair in Democratic Ideals is housed in the Mānoa Chancellor’s Office, and shared between the William S. Richardson School of Law and the Department of American Studies in Mānoa’s College of Arts and Humanities. The Chair is envisioned as a visiting academic position held by a distinguished public figure.

Doors to the April 7 lecture at Kennedy Theatre will open at 6:30 p.m. for the 7 p.m. event. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Overflow seating will be available at the East-West Center in the Keoni Auditorium.